Seconds later, the children started screaming for help. Their parents rushed into the water and were each able to pull a child to safety, but a third child, a little girl, was still in harms way in the rough water. Alan Hall jumped into the tide without hesitating, Julie Hall said.

"My dad was able to push Ruby out of the way and towards the shore, where it was safe," said Julie Hall.

Riptides, also known as rip currents, are extremely dangerous channels of discolored water that can form unexpectedly and pull swimmers away from the beach.

After pushing the child to safety, Alan Hall's heart stopped. Nearby boaters managed to get him back to shore, where a crowd was gathering.

His wife began performing CPR immediately but Alan Hall was not breathing and did not have a pulse.

"My mom said one of the things she remembers so strongly is the circle of people around him that all started praying for him," Julie Hall said. "That's something that has stuck with her."

Emergency medics arrived and attempted to resuscitate Hall, but they were unsuccessful. He was transported to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

Medical examiners have not yet released a cause of death, but Julie Hall said her father suffered from a "cardiac event."

A spokeswoman from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection said that no lifeguards were on the section of the beach because it is not a designated swimming area. Other parts of Honeymoon Island State Park are open for swimming but only have seasonal lifeguards on duty from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Five-year-old Ruby, the child Alan Hall saved, traveled to the hospital with her parents and siblings to thank the Halls. The family had been on vacation in Florida, visiting from Ohio.

"They were so distraught and they were so guilty," Julie Hall said. "We told them not to feel guilty because if my dad had known the outcome, he would have done it anyway. That's how he lived his life. He would have done it regardless. He was one of those people that actually lived what he preached."

Eileen Hall spoke to the mother of the rescued children today and the distraught woman said the she has been getting hate mail and angry messages online saying that she and her husband are horrible parents for not watching their children more closely.

The news upset the Hall family. Eileen Hall is "heartbroken" over the negativity and Julie Hall said her father would be "so upset" if he knew people were criticizing the family.